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. 2013 Jan;6(1):69-76.
doi: 10.1177/1756283X12456895.

Radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of radiation proctitis: a case report and review of literature

Rodney Eddi  1 , Joseph R Depasquale
Affiliations

Radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of radiation proctitis: a case report and review of literature

Rodney Eddi et al. Therap Adv Gastroenterol. 2013 Jan.

Abstract

Radiation proctitis is a frequent complication of pelvic radiation for cancer. This condition can present acutely within several weeks of radiation, or chronically many months or years after radiation, leading to rectal bleeding and transfusion-dependent anemia. Various medical and endoscopic therapies have been described to treat this condition; however, some patients fail to respond to the current standard therapies. Here we present a case of refractory radiation proctitis, with suboptimal response to other therapies, treated successfully with a novel method, radiofrequency ablation.

Keywords: Radiation proctitis; gastrointestinal bleeding; proctopathy; radiofrequency ablation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest in preparing this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Edematous rectal mucosa with multiple angioectasias, characteristic of radiation proctitis.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
A HALO90 radiofrequency ablation catheter mounted on a scope.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Rectal mucosa immediately after radiofrequency ablation.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Follow-up sigmoidoscopy showing a healed rectal mucosa with minimal erythema.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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